The present invention relates to a method of making a tubular support bar for a dashboard support.
Nothing in the following discussion of the state of the art is to be construed as an admission of prior art.
Dashboard supports find application in motor vehicles as load-bearing structure for various cockpit functions. A main component of the dashboard support is the crossbeam which extends between the windshield pillars transversely to the travel direction and imparts stiffness to the vehicle body. The crossbeam is normally made of one or more support bars. Various functions are assumed by the dashboard support. Besides stiffening the vehicle body for absorbing energy in the event of a crash, the dashboard support is also intended to connect various spatial points and to secure various mountings. Moreover, the dashboard support should be suitable for operation in different frequency ranges because various vibrations are encountered during travel, caused by the chassis or motor for example.
Various mountings are arranged on the crossbeam for the instrument panel as well as for holding and attachment of further functional components of the vehicle, such as steering column, heating and air conditioning unit, airbag, center console, fuse box, or glove compartment. To hold these functional vehicle components and their mounts, perforations, holes or embossments are made in the crossbeam to provide attachment points which are sometimes provided for connecting elements, such as nuts or bolts. The subsequent placement of connecting elements is not only time-consuming but also costly.
It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to address this problem and to obviate other prior art shortcomings.